1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates, in general, to a thermal storage furnace system for convention heating the interior volume of a structure or housing and in particular to a thermal storage furnace system having a mixing means for mixing high temperature fluid from a heat source with low temperature fluid from a low temperature fluid source, such as the return from the interior volume of the structure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The electric utility industry experiences wide variations in their daily load cycle. During peak demand periods they generally use premium fuel to generate power. During minimum demand periods coal and nuclear generating plants are under utilized. As a result, utilities can offer electric power at reduced rates to their customers during the minimum demand time intervals in their daily load cycles.
A significant use of electric power during peak load periods is the direct conversion of electric energy to thermal energy. Apparatus is available which converts off-peak electric power to thermal energy, and stores it for use during peak demand time periods. These devices have generally been too costly to achieve general utilization, due in large part to the economic burden imposed by the large heat storage medium. Accordingly it would be desirable to have a thermal storage furnace system having a low cost thermal storage medium capable of being cycled to high storage temperatures and a means for delivering the high temperature heat stored therein to the interior volume of a structure at a lower temperature.